Mr TRUSS (Wide Bay—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) (14:27): Clearly this government, in this budget, is providing substantial funding to increase expenditure on hospitals, and that will provide additional employment opportunities for nurses. Therefore, this is a budget that is very fair to nurses. It is very fair to the medical system and the provision of medical services. Mr Conroy interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Charlton is warned. Mr TRUSS: There is a nine per cent increase in expenditure for health in this budget. There is nine per cent in the following year. There is nine per cent the year after. That will provide substantial new employment opportunities for nurses. Mr Conroy interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Charlton has been warned. Mr TRUSS: Let me make it absolutely clear— Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question about budget cuts was asked about five questions ago; this one is about tertiary education fees. The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Mr TRUSS: The question was about the cost of the degree and therefore the employment opportunities of nurses. So I am responding absolutely correctly. Under the new system, there will be better paid opportunities in the future that will allow people to repay their HECS debt. Ms Macklin interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Jagajaga will desist. Mr TRUSS: This will result in continuing the training and building of the workforce in the health sector. The reality is that this is a government that cares deeply about ensuring that the health system of our nation is sustainable. We know that we will need more nurses in the future to ensure that that health care can be provided, especially in an ageing society. That is why we are reforming the higher education system to enable more nurses to be trained, therefore enabling us to better meet our responsibilities for health care as a nation in the years ahead.